South Middleton girl gets toys for fellow patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Heaven Kelley has been at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee since May, fighting a rare form of cancer. She’ll probably be there until March.

It’s been a tough slog for the 12-year-old South Middleton Twp. girl, a student at Yellow Breeches Middle School, described by friends as bright and bubbly. Her outlook is so positive, in fact, she wanted nothing more for the holidays than to give presents to the other children at the hospital.

“She’s always looking out for others,” said Steve Berg, a family friend.

View full sizeSubmitted photoHeaven Kelley of South Middleton Twp. is battling a rare form of cancer at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Tennessee.

She was able to achieve her wish with the help of an anonymous donor who contributed $1,000 to the cause.

Jeff Bowermaster and his wife, Lisa, brought along the money when they went to visit Heaven at Thanksgiving, then spent a wild Black Friday buying the toys Heaven chose from a list supplied by the hospital. Jeff Bowermaster is a cousin of Heaven’s father, John.

Heaven was not able to go shopping with them, but she helped distribute the toys, Lisa Bowermaster said. They included coloring books, Matchbox cars and Barbie accessories.

“She was thrilled,” Lisa Bowermaster said. “We heard they had a shortage of toys there this year.”

Heaven also got a gift of her own Sunday, when country music star Taylor Swift paid her a surprise visit. Swift has been a supporter of the hospital, donating $25,000 in June.

According to Jamey, “Heaven asked to sing Taylor a song ... but she wanted to sing it to just her ... so we all left the room except Heaven and Taylor. ... Heaven sang Taylor the Happy Birthday song... because Taylor’s birthday is next week!

“We came back into Heaven’s room and Heaven was beaming ear to ear ... she said, ‘Taylor says I have an amazing voice,” Jamey said. “Taylor crawled next to Heaven in her bed and took pictures with her. And Heaven gave her a school picture. They talked about many things, and Taylor really made Heaven feel so special. ... When she was about to leave, Heaven says, ‘If you ever need a backup singer, just give me a call!’ And everyone was laughing as Heaven grinned at her.”

Berg’s daughter Adriana is Heaven’s best friend. Berg has been acting as the family’s spokesman, maintains the Facebook page and has set up a way for people to donate to help the family.

Berg said doctors first thought Heaven had migraines when she started coming down with headaches in the spring. Sometimes she passed out from the pain, Berg said. She was also nauseous, sensitive to light and started slurring her words.

Jamey Kelley was training as a nurse and knew there was something seriously wrong with her daughter, Berg said. She is the one who kept pushing for a diagnosis.

By the time Heaven was diagnosed with primitive neuroectodermal tumors, a rare form of cancer that affects the nerve cells in the brain, it was already at stage 4, Berg said.

“It’s hard to diagnose, but Jamey kept pushing the doctors,” Berg said. “As a parent, you know your children best.”

At St. Jude’s, Heaven has been on a rigorous regimen of radiation and chemotherapy, Berg said.

Her prognosis is good, Berg said, “but she still has a long fight ahead.”

That’s one reason her family and friends were so outraged when someone stole the donation cans which had been set up in Carlisle stores to help Heaven.

Borough police have charged two Carlisle residents, Samantha Stotler, 33, and Jeremy Ness, 34, in the theft after police said they were caught on videotape taking a can last week from he Olde Susquehanna House gift shop.

Heaven’s medical expenses are covered by health insurance and the hospital’s own money, but the family faces extra costs, particularly the travel time for John to go back and forth to Tennessee, Berg said.

While Jamey stays with Heaven in Memphis, John Kelley works as a Cumberland County prison guard and cares for Heaven’s siblings. He flies to Tennessee every other week to see his daughter and wife.

“John is a former Marine, like myself,” Berg said. “This is very stressful for him. As Marines, we are trained to go in and get the job done. Now this is all in the hands of the doctors.”

Family friends have set up a “Hope for Heaven” foundation at Members 1st banks. Berg, who owns a military supply store called Patriot Surplus in Carlisle, is also selling bracelets made of parachute cord to benefit Heaven. The bracelets are “very strong and virtually indestructible,” like Heaven, he said.

Last week, he set up a donation button on the “Hope for Heaven Kelley” Facebook page.

“The community will support her until she comes home healthy and happy, a normal 12-year-old,” he said. “She was a competitive cheerleader. She’s into skinny jeans, hats, all that girl stuff. Her biggest wish is, she just wants to feel normal.”

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